Community Use of the Spring
The Chase Street spring is located south of Small Farms, between 35th Avenue and Ridge Road.
Most of the tillable land east and west of the spring was farmed by the Nimetz and Ewen families, who specialized in growing vegetables, fruit, and other crops. From 1947 to 1978, the field surrounding the well was owned by the Sarkey family.
During this period, the spring was used as a drinking water supply for families in the Small Farms and Black Oak communities. Some collected it due to a lack of potable water in their homes, while others drank from the spring due to its taste, cold temperature, or health benefits. The artesian well drew from a different aquifer than the shallower private wells in the area. Families who relied on the spring as their water source had to make regular trips to the well to collect the water.
To learn more about the use of the spring during this time, listen to these clips:
Dorothy Waters: "The Spring House"
Dorothy Waters recalled that her brother told her that there used to be a house next to the Chase Street spring that he called the "Spring House". Dorothy shares an anecdote about the man who lived there, who used its cold waters as his refrigerator.
Found at 18:43 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
Betty Earlene Jordan: "I didn't know that everybody didn't go to the well when I was a kid"
Betty Earlene Jordan describes the Small Farms community's use of the Chase Street spring when she was a child.
Found at 01:06 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
Exnar and Johnny Burt: "But that's how we were...we'd help each other out there"
Siblings Johnny Burt and Exnar McIntosh-Burt describe community life around the Chase Street Spring when they grew up in Small Farms.
Found at 26:40 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
Ida Lloyd: "It never froze and you would meet your neighbors there"
Ida Lloyd shares her memory of gathering water from the Chase Street Spring in the wintertime.
Found at 05:13 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
Chuck Hughes: "Hey, let's go get spring water"
Chuck Hughes, executive director of the Gary Chamber of Commerce, describes how the Chase Street spring water was like a treat for him and other children.
Found at 05:47 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
Tyrell Anderson: "It made me appreciate their upbringing and their struggle"
Tyrell Anderson, historic conservationist and co-founder of the Decay Devils, discusses how learning about his family's history has helped him to be more grateful. He says, "Seeing what they had to do to get drinking water, water for home, etc. It made me appreciate my upbringing a lot more...It made me appreciate their upbringing and their struggle."
Found at 07:36 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
